Congressional Republicans Can Exempt Themselves From Their Disgusting Healthcare Plan

The Republicans know their new healthcare plan is a disaster. In fact, it’s so bad that they included a provision that allows Congress and their staffs to exempt themselves.

On Thursday, the Congress will be voting on the Republicans’ disgusting new healthcare plan. Their plan will roll back many of the essential benefits provided in Obamacare, like protections for people with preexisting conditions. Also, their plan does not protect the medicaid expansion. Which means that 24 million people could lose their coverage.

The Republicans think this new plan is just fine for all of us. But apparently it’s not good enough for themselves or their staffs.

Under Obamacare, Congress and their staffs are required to purchase health insurance through Obamacare’s marketplace, just like the rest of us. The Democrats believed that if Obamacare was good enough for us, then it was good enough for them.

In the Republican plan, states can opt out of key Obamacare protections like preexisting conditions. So, if you live in one of those states, you get screwed. But you know who won’t be screwed? Congress.

If a member of Congress lives in a state that opts out, they are still guaranteed to keep the Obamacare provisions. You’re not protected, but Congressional Republicans are.

“If congressional aides lived in a state that decided to waive these protections, the aides who were sick could presumably be vulnerable to higher premiums than the aides who are healthy. Their benefits package could get skimpier as Obamacare’s essential health benefits requirement may no longer apply either.

This apparently does not sound appealing, because the Republican amendment includes the members of Congress and their staff as a protected group who cannot be affected by this amendment’s terms.”

After getting negative pushback on this bullshit Thursday morning, the Republicans are now saying that they will change this loophole. Eventually.

“Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) released a statement saying he would close this loophole. The fix, however, will be contained in separate legislation and not offered as part of the American Health Care Act. The version of the bill the House will vote on Thursday still contains the exemption for legislators.”